I’m Fighting for Rural Colorado

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Dear Southern Colorado,

I hope you are well. I've been busy at the State Capitol and wanted to provide you with an update. As always, feel free to reach out to my office if you have any questions, ideas, or concerns.

Sincerely,

Newsletter Video Update

In the Legislature

Since the beginning of the legislative session, Representative Valdez has introduced five bills:

HB22-1007 saves homeowners money on wildfire mitigation. The bill establishes the wildfire mitigation resources and best practices grant program within the Colorado state forest service.

HB22-1012 protects forested counties from wildfires. The bill creates the wildfire mitigation and recovery program within the state forest service. This program will provide grants to forested counties to help them recover from wildfires.

HB22-1053 creates an online program that teaches agriculture producers how to implement blockchain technology. The bill instructs the Commissioner of Agriculture to create and deploy an online program that educates agricultural producers about blockchain technology.

HB22-1088 requires motor vehicle investigators and criminal tax enforcement special agents to be certified by the P.O.S.T board. This bill will ensure these government employees are prepared to meet today's societal challenges.

HB22-1097 makes it easier for a county board to dissolve special districts. This bill helps simplify local government and make it more efficient.

Feel free to visit the General Assembly website or contact our office to learn about these bills in greater depth.

Committee Meetings and Floor Work:

On Monday, Representative Valdez voted in favor of HB22-1027 which simplifies taxes for small businesses. Colorado's small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we must continue to support them.

On Tuesday, Representative Valdez took part in a Transportation and Local Government committee meeting where he heard from the Joint Budget Committee and the Colorado Department of Transportation. Representative Valdez is committed to making sure infrastructure projects are being completed in a cost-effective and timely manner, especially in rural areas.

OEDIT Rural Economic Resources

Colorado Rural Resiliency and Recovery Roadmaps
"This program provides technical assistance and grants for regional teams of rural communities to drive economic relief, recovery, diversification and long-term resilience."

Rural Technical Assistance Program
"This program helps rural communities create economic development strategies by providing free technical assistance and consulting services."

Rural Jump-Start Program
"This program helps economically distressed communities attract new businesses and jobs."

Enterprise Zone Program
"This program encourages development in economically distressed areas of the state through tax incentives."

Location Neutral Employment Community Matching Grant
"This grant provides marketing funds to help rural areas attract out-of-state companies to create new jobs in their communities."

All Rural Programs and Funding

In the Community

-Rio Frio Ice Fest Alamosa
-Community Seed Exchange at Adams State University Nielsen Library
-Local Food Saturday Coalition Events in the San Luis Valley
-111th Annual Meeting & Citizen of the Year Presentation
-Cultivating Ideas for Growth - 40th Annual Conference

Fun Facts and Information

1. Representative Valdez received an award for being the Soil and Water Conservation District Representative of the year for 2021. Representative Valdez is committed to preserving water so Colorado's agriculture community can succeed.

2. 90% of Colorado's potatoes come from from the San Luis Valley. [2]

3. The San Luis Valley is home to the Great Sand Dunes.

The above image provides a breakdown of precipitation levels in Colorado. Water is the lifeblood to our Agriculture industry and Representative Valdez will be monitoring this data closely throughout the legislative session. As of January 26th, statewide snowpack levels are at 109 percent of the median. [3]

[1] Bosselman, Andy. “Colorado Rep. Donald Valdez Speaks on the Floor of the Colorado House of Representatives on June 11, 2020.” Rep. Donald Valdez Announces Run for Boebert’s Congressional Seat, Colorado Newsline, 18 Feb. 2021, https://coloradonewsline.com/2021/02/18/rep-donald-valdez-announces-run-for-boeberts-congressional-seat/. Accessed 21 Jan. 2022.

[2] Walker, Emma. “A Food-Lover's Guide to Alamosa.” Alamosa , 10 Oct. 2017, https://www.southern-colorado-guide.com/southern-colorado-farming.html.

[3] “Natural Resources Conservation Service.” Snow Survey | NRCS Colorado, 27 Jan. 2022, https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/co/snow/.

Copyright © *|2022|* *|Representative Donald Valdez|*, All rights reserved.
From the desk of Donald Valdez

Our mailing address is:
200 E Colfax
RM 307
Denver, CO 80203
United States

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